‘Destiny’ First Expansion Release Date Announced

Destiny has received several updates and patches already with very few additions on the gameplay side, but that might change with the first paid content pack that has just been given its release date. This is one of two packs currently announced for Bungie’s latest shooter with their 10-year plan suggesting there will be many more on the way at some point in that timeline. These first two, in the meantime, look to add to some of the areas of the game fans have called anemic within this initial offering.

The first paid content expansion for Destiny, entitled The Darkness Below, seems to have been detailed thoroughly by publisher Activision. In all, this pack will contain new gear, story missions, raids, strikes and new multiplayer maps. The story missions, and most of the content, will surround “Crota,” a god of the Hive, and stopping this entity whose handiwork has already been felt in the main campaign with the wielding of a powerful sword. A new emissary will also inhabit the Tower to hand you these missions and possible bounties. The gear additions were not listed, but max level players (level 30) will have two extra levels in which to upgrade with this expansion purchase.

One piece to be upgraded with the release of this first Destiny expansion is the number of bounties that can be held at one time. Bungie, in their patch notes just yesterday, stated that they were working on this exact feature for a, supposedly, wider user base than those that just buy the expansion. The strikes, with the latter of them being PlayStation exclusives until next year, are “The Will of Crota” and “The Undying Mind,” both of which can be tackled with a three-user team. A six-Guardian raid called “Crota’s End” is also with the pack, as well as three currently unnamed multiplayer maps.

This Destiny expansion seems to be a prelude to many other that are coming down the line, including the second one coming sometime next year entitled The House of Wolves. A vast majority of missions, strikes and raids that are to be made available with this set of content may have been given away by an enterprising YouTube user last month. Thanks to a bug from one of the patches, user Kinsey_92 seems to have been given a window, and offered the world a video, into every bit of content that Bungie intended to complete with either The Dark Below or The House of Wolves. All in all, the user discovered six new story missions, four new strikes, two new raids and a permanent version of “Skirmish” in The Crucible. Bungie then confirmed that this was intentionally left on the disk, but that none of the areas were finished for consumers at that time.

The Dark Below will be released for Destiny across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 Dec. 9 of this year for $19.99. A season pass is available, covering both this and the second expansion for $34.99 and is available on the same systems. Those that purchased any of the collector’s editions of Destiny will already have the season pass and will only have to download and install when the expansion is released.